PV Avoca [Mildura, Vic., Australia]

[Roderick Smith]

I enclose an advertisement from Sat.10.11.07 'Sunraysia Daily', the daily Mildura newspaper.

To short circuit the web reference, go to
www.qualityhotelmilduragrand.com.au/asp/avoca_restaurant.asp

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

The cruising stopped, and the boat became a static floating restaurant.

In January, the owner was quoted as planning to do it up.
As at March, it has been advertised for sale ('must sell').

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

The auction is being talked up.  River gossip is that the hull needs substantial work, and the superstructure needs renovation too.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

From Michael: Avoca sold for $55 000 on Friday.  That is just about firewood price, and hints that the hull is in worse shape than river gossip was suggesting.  There is no hint yet re the likely use.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Straight from our man in the field: PV Avoca sank overnight.  The enclosed photo from Michael was sent at 7.47 on Fri.25.4 morning.

The news report is at <www.easymix.com.au/mildura/news/news/44509-avoca-sinks>

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[derekwarner_decoy]

Hi PD's....& whilst I agree it is our heritage... ... it's still a pity when a paddler floods........Derek

[Roderick Smith]

The news has hit Melbourne radio & tv, with speculation that the pumps had failed (hinting that the hull was leaking steadily).
That had happened to the Canally hull twice recently (at Robinvale/Euston, and then at Moran), and also to the wooden screw ferry 'Lady Cutler' at Victoria Harbour.  It was right under, and for 3 years, and was scrapped upon retrieval.

Here is the 16.00 Fri.25.4 news photo from Michael.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Plans to convert historic paddle steamer into a casino or restaurant sink.
Herald Sun April 26, 2014 8:28AM
Sinking feeling 1:45
Play video
<http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/external?url=http://content6.video.news.com.au/QxdWRobTrZ-KParVsw2OnV6oZ3-vSNAs/promo222687225&width=650&api_key=kq7wnrk4eun47vz9c5xuj3mc>
Plans to restore Mildura's historic paddle steamer 'Avoca' may be scuppered, after she sank in the Murray River Sinking feeling THERE had been talk of converting one of Australia’s oldest paddle steamers into a flash new Murray River restaurant. 
Even a floating casino was on the cards.
But today, future plans for the 1877-built Avoca were sunk. Quite literally.
Just a week after it was sold at auction by famed celebrity chef Stefano de Pieri, the grand old vessel was found half submerged at its mooring in Mildura early Friday.
Mr de Pieri said the cause was unclear.
 “This is what happens to boats, particularly old ones ... (but) it’s not lost yet,” he said.
 “It’s half-up, half-down.
 “We suspect it was a power failure and the bilge pump stopped working and that was that.
 “We’re now assessing the situation. We’ll have some experts on the job and see what can be done.”
Mildura restaurateur Simon Harrington paid $55,000 for the historic boat at auction on April 11. He had promised it would remain a local icon.
But it’s understood the sale process had not yet been finalised. When contacted by the Herald Sun, Mr Harrington was quick to distance himself on the issue.
 “It’s not my boat,” he said. “I’ve got to go ... my solicitor is calling.’’
Mr de Pieri said he hadn’t had time to consider the implications of the pending sale.
It’s not the first time the boat had encountered problems. In January an electrical fault is believed to have cut power to the four electric pumps that run 24/7 to keep it afloat.
Mr de Pieri told local media at the time he was concerned the steamer might eventually sink.
A video on his phone reportedly showed water pouring through the hull ”at the flow rate of a garden hose’’.
Two published comments:
* Let's just pay the Insurance and put it to bed-Restaurants in general terms are history.
* [mine] there has to be a dignified future somehow: there are fewer than 20 original paddleboats left, and very few are 19th century.  Some are commercial; some are maintained and operated by dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers, but their resources and revenue are already stretched.  One ex-Sydney ferry was pulped in Melbourne after being underwater for 3 years, but was one of a class.  Avoca is unique.

I haven't been able to get the video to play.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Two more from Michael.  Avoca is sinking more.  On Monday, divers put more ropes around the hull.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

Work on raising PV Avoca started on Wed.16.7.14.  I can't get the local newspaper article, but I am enlclosing a May article, with two photos which I can't repost (including the ownership certificate), and two from Michael.  I am not sure if he is on site, or relaying from another.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Remembering Avoca.
May 3, 2014 Mildura 'Sunraysia Daily'.
PV Avoca may be sitting on the bottom on the Murray River, but former owner John Irwin is confident “The Squid” will rise again.
Yesterday, he showed Sunraysia Daily the paddle boat’s original British deed of title, to which his company was the last name added before computers made the document unnecessary.
Mr Irwin part-owned the grand dame of the river from 1975 until 2003, when it was purchased by Avoca Dreaming Pty Ltd.
Bruce Chalmers, Don Carrazza and Stefano de Pieri were all part of that organisation and were issued with a computer-generated deed of title.
Mr Irwin, who is also Mr de Pieri’s lawyer, was a young, single man back in 1975 and had only been in Mildura for two years.
When accountant Leon Wagner spruiked the idea of buying a paddle steamer together over a pie at the Workers, Mr Irwin decided it would be “a good chick magnet”.
“We almost purchased the Ulonga, then a converted paddle steamer at Port Adelaide,” he said.
“Then we heard of the Avoca, at Avoca Dell near Murray Bridge, owned by Bill Doecke.
“We formed a syndicate of six Mildura guys and we set about restoring the old girl.”
Also in the group, beside an accountant and a lawyer, were a musician, a chef, a maître d’hôte and a farmer.
“Each of us had a role to play – we had the perfect balance,” Mr Irwin said.
“We borrowed $90,000 from the bank and ran it for 15 to 20 years as a night club.”
He remembers one New Year’s Eve when the Avoca, which was only licenced to carry 180 passengers, managed to squeeze 600 people on board.
But despite all the hijinks, the Avoca almost didn’t survive long enough to become a party boat.
On the second night of the journey to bring the Avoca back to Mildura from Murray Bridge, where she had lived since 1956, disaster struck and the group almost lost the historic vessel.
“It’s a boat that’s rich in local history and we were hailed as heroes when we returned her,” Mr Irwin said.
For more of this story, purchase your copy of Saturday's Sunraysia Daily 03/05/2014.
<www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/2256266/remembering-avoca>

[Roderick Smith]

Here are some old and current news items.  The ABC one links to an interesting video, much better than the headline 'debate', far more 'discussion'.

Avoca must be raised by June: RMS asking for detailed salvage plan.
May 8, 2014. NSW Roads and Maritime Services has issued the owner of historic sunken paddle boat the Avoca with an ultimatum.
A notice issued yesterday requested the removal of the 137-year-old vessel from the Murray River before May 31.
The Avoca sank at its Mildura Wharf mooring overnight on April 25 after an electrical fault caused the bilge pumps to fail.
Mildura cook Stefano de Pieri sold the paddle boat at auction on April 11 to restaurateur Simon Harrington, but settlement will not take place until Monday.
Acting RMS director Michael Wright said once a detailed salvage plan was lodged and approved, work to remove the Avoca could start.
“This is the second clean up notice issued since the old paddle boat sank on April 25,” Mr Wright said.
“We are happy with the progress and our interactions with the owner so far.
(8.5.14 Sunraysia Daily)

23 July, 2014 ABC
After the Avoca: the future of Mildura's paddle boats?
As the historic Avoca paddle boat is raised from the Murray River, there's debate about what the future holds for Mildura's river boat industry.
It was overnight on Anzac day that the pumps on the 137 yo Avoca paddle boat failed, causing it to sink into the Murray.
The 'old lady of the river', as the boat is known locally, was already in need of desperate restoration.
Now, after several months in the water, it's unclear what lies ahead for this once popular showboat.
With just a handful of original paddle boats left on the river, questions are being raised about whether the Avoca's fate is symbolic of a decline in the industry itself.
<www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2014/07/23/4052235.htm?site=milduraswanhill>

I haven't heard yet about what extra deterioration was caused by the immersion.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Roderick Smith]

820514F Mildura PV Avoca in action. R Smith.  By this stage it had been converted from diesel electric (using Adelaide tram traction motors and control gear) to diesel hydraulic, but the ugly raised paddleboxes had not yet been built.

Roderick